When the pack of books I purchased from eBay finally arrived, I was delighted by the sight of the pile of Sabrina books sitting on the desk. The problem, however, came when I had to choose one to begin reading! They all looked fantastic, I couldn't work out which I wanted to start with! In the end, I opted for one with all three Spellman witches on the cover; I guessed it would have a lot of Sabrina's Aunts in it, which I found I always preferred over the stories that had less involvement with them. So, I sat myself down, and turned the first page of 'Spying Eyes'…
So, who is Sabrina? Sabrina, played by actress Melissa Joan Hart, is a teenage witch living in the mortal realm in America, initially with her two Aunts; Hilda and Zelda, and her pet cat Salem (whom was once a warlock sentenced to 100 years as a house pet for attempted world domination). Now, she attends Westbridge High with her friends Harvey and Valerie.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a hit TV series in the 90s, with a total of eight series aired. Although it is no longer in production, it is still popular. Each episode takes us on a fascinating journey into the young witch's life, where we see her attempt to cope with being both a witch and a teenager at the same time; a task that seems terrifying!
Plot ----- It was no ordinary day when Sabrina's Aunts greeted her early in the morning; it was in fact Castanalia! This was a day when all witches living in the mortal realm (as apposed to the Other Realm) could cast any spells they desired for one day, and then come Midnight, all their spells would be taken away as if they never happened, and the day would begin again. This was a rare treat, as spells usually came with alternatives and mishaps!
Sabrina was thrilled, and started the day by zooming down to school on a skateboard at top speed, before giving Harvey a ride too! During school, she casts many exciting spells such as turning the popular school head cheerleader Libby into a geek, and making her best friend Valerie a popular rock star with Elvis as a singing partner! Even her Aunts are having a great day, turning Hilda into President!
Hilda and Zelda take Sabrina on a tour of the Galaxy in the Other Realm and meet other witches out celebrating Castanalia, where they swap 'Witch Recipes'; cards with spells on for other witches to master (the Man-dough one sounds most fascinating!). In all the excitement, Hilda and Zelda forgot to tell their niece one crucial piece of information; one spell, known as a 'One Thing' will not be reversed after Midnight. Usually, witches set a protection spell before Castanalia which will cancel this One Thing at the stroke of Midnight, but Sabrina didn't know to do so…
At the end of Castanalia, Sabrina has to try and remember all the spells she cast during that day, and try to work out which spell exactly is her One Thing. It would seem simple enough to zap it back once she discovered which spell it was, but when a chilling letter from the Witches' Council pops through the Magic Mail Toaster informing all witches in the mortal realm that there is a witch hunter prowling their area, all magic is forbidden until further notice! How will Sabrina stop her One Thing without the use of her powers, and can she and her Aunts stay protected from the Witch Hunter? Or is he getting a little too close for comfort with Zelda?
About the collection ------------------------- There are over fifty books in the Sabrina The Teenage Witch collection, written by a variety of authors. These books take us through Sabrina's life, from when she was sixteen and first discovered she was a witch, right up until her years at college. We meet a lot of her friends along the way, joining them on some magical adventures.
Book number 14, 'Spying Eyes', is written by Nancy Holder, an American author. She has written a variety of other books from this collection, including Bridal Bedlam and Scarabian Nights. She also writes for other series books, such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Wishbone.
Verdict. ---------- Thankfully, the Aunts were indeed in a large portion of this book, which is what I had hoped for! They do make me laugh! It was a great benefit that the characters were described so vividly in this story, which makes it much easier to follow and relate to them.
This is certainly a book I would recommend, whether you are interested in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, or stories where the 'impossible' happens! It is not necessary to have watched the television series before, nor are you required to have read the previous books in the collection. The descriptions are so clear that all is explained well!
I couldn't put this book down, enjoying every single 'witchy' antic! It's definitely one of my favourites in the collection and look forward to reading more by Nancy Holder!
